But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2Corinthians 12:9
One of our goals as a community is to create opportunities in which to share our hearts, taking care to base them on the word of God. The If:Dayton Leadership Team will be sharing their hearts with you. They will share tidbits of their time in the word and about what God is teaching them. Here is an encouraging word from Bethany.
These past couple of weeks have been challenging. The word that keeps circling in my mind to describe how I feel is … stuck. I feel stuck in my circumstances, my feelings, my decisions. It seems like the things I want are at odds with each other and there have been many moments full of anxiety and hopelessness.
But even in the midst of uncertainty, I see glimpses of God’s grace in my circumstances—a compassionate husband, friendships I can admit my heartaches too (this is an answer to a many years long prayer), a reconciled relationship I had no idea was weighing so heavily on me, and a book by Emily P. Freeman called the Next Right Thing. All of these things have breathed life into my aching heart and have pointed me to the One who blesses, restores, strengthens, and gives abundantly.
In my heart echo Peter’s words, "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10)
He is the God of ALL grace--each and every kind of grace we could need. And in 2 Corinthians, God promises that His grace is sufficient for us. A little word study on sufficient--it means to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to be enough, to defend and ward off, to be satisfied and contented (Blue Letter Bible).So let’s tease that out a little more…
God's grace is unfailingly strong, enough, able to defend and ward off, and His grace satisfies making our hearts content.
I don't know about you guys but when I try to solve or "out think" my problems, many times I end up empty, dissatisfied, and still searching. But when the God of all grace speaks truth into my situation, that is the place where I am changed and find true comfort and stillness.
Today, I pray over the burdens you have rolling around in your mind. I pray that God would anchor you with His truth, point you to His grace, and speak life into those hard places. I pray that His grace would be a shield to defend you and ward off any thought or belief about yourself or your life that doesn't align with His goodness.
I end with this: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16
Grace and peace to you, my sisters.